Atomic Bomb Decision Documents

DOCUMENT #1: Rape of Nanking

In 1936 and 1937 the Japanese army entered the city of Nanking, what happened there over six weeks is known as The Rape of Nanking.

1. How might the photograph influence the American president into believing that the atomic attacks on Japanese civilians were justified?

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DOCUMENT #2: League of Nations International Law Protection of Civilian Populations Against Bombing From the Air in Case of War, League of Nations, September 30, 1938

PROTECTION OF CIVILIAN POPULATIONS AGAINST BOMBING FROM THE AIR IN CASE OF WAR Unanimous resolution of the League of Nations Assembly, September 30, 1938.

The Assembly,

Considering that on numerous occasions public opinion has expressed through the most authoritative channels its horror of the bombing of civilian populations;

Considering that this practice, for which there is no military necessity and which, as experience shows, only causes needless suffering, is condemned under the recognised principles of international law;…

I. Recognizes the following principles as a necessary basis for any subsequent regulations:

1) The intentional bombing of civilian populations is illegal;

2) Objectives aimed at from the air must be legitimate military objectives and must be identifiable;

3) Any attack on legitimate military objectives must be carried out in such a way that civilian populations in the neighbourhood are not bombed through negligence;

1. What is the date of this document?

2. What international organization passed this law?

3. Identify one way the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were illegal according to this law.

DOCUMENT #3: Japanese Kamikaze Pilots As the war progressed and it became obvious that American technology was superior to Japan’s, the Japanese began utilizing kamikaze pilots to attack Allied ships in the Pacific to balance the power. The Japanese pilots became “guided” missiles taking out American ships.

1. How might the Japanese use of Kamikaze pilots influence Harry Truman to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

DOCUMENT #4: Letter of Scientists opposed to nuclear weapon in war EXCERPTS OF THE LETTER:

To the President of the United States: We, the undersigned scientific personnel…believe that the worldwide political and social consequences of the power of the weapon being developed…(require the United States to have that power to be) made known by a demonstration to the peoples of the world…Therefore we recommend that before this weapon be used without restriction…its powers should be…demonstrated, and the Japanese nation should be given the opportunity to consider the consequences of further refusal to surrender.

1. According to this letter, why are these scientists opposed to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japanese cities?

DOCUMENT #5: Invasion of Japan- The following are the estimates of casualties, made by US military personnel, in the invasion of Japan. Approximately 500,000 Purple Heart medals (awarded to those wounded or killed while serving with the US military) were manufactured in anticipation of the invasion. However, nobody knows for sure how many Allied or Japanese casualties an invasion would have resulted in. There have been many estimates over the years (some of the estimates below do not include losses at sea).

Estimate US/Allied Casualties Japanese Casualties Olympic Wounded: 347,000 Olympic Dead/Missing: 109,000 Joint Chiefs of Staff Coronet Wounded: 744,000 N/A (April 1945) Coronet Dead/Missing: 158,000 TOTAL: 1,200,000 Admiral Nimitz's Staff First 30 Days: 49,000 N/A (May 1945) General MacArthur's Staff First 120 Days: 125,000 N/A (June 1945) General MacArthur's Staff First 120 Days: 105,000 N/A (Revised Estimate) General Marshall 70,000 ? Admiral Leahy 268,000 ? Admiral King 31,000 to 41,000 ? Wounded: 1,300,000 to 3,200,000 William Shockley Dead: 400,000 to 800,000 Dead: 5,000,000 to 10,000,000 Total: 1,700,000 to 4,000,000 Kyle Palmer Dead: 500,000 to 1,000,000 ? Harry S. Truman Dead: 500,000 to 1,000,000 ?

1. How many casualties did Harry S Truman believe would occur in an invasion of Japan?

2. How would this influence his decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japanese cities?

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DOCUMENT #6: Effects of Atomic Attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki The following are visuals and a graph of the after-effects of the attacks. TABLE A: Estimates of Casualties Hiroshima Nagasaki

Pre-raid population 255,000 195,000

Dead 66,000 39,000

Injured 69,000 25,000

Total Casualties 135,000 64,000

1. What was the Pre-raid Population of Hiroshima?

2. What was the Total Casualties number of Hiroshima?